Jamie Carragher has claimed that several Manchester United players will be delighted to see Michael Carrick drop Bruno Fernandes

Jamie Carragher believes a number of Manchester United players will welcome the opportunity to take to the pitch without Bruno Fernandes, following his axing by Michael Carrick.

The Portuguese ace has been dropped to the bench for the home clash against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, in the wake of his controversial Wednesday night outburst that brought the United manager's tactical approach into question.

Fernandes, who scooped last year's Player of the Year award, has long been regarded as the club's go-to man, yet will now find himself among the substitutes for only the fifth time since his arrival in January 2020.

Despite his undeniable talent, the former Sporting Lisbon star has faced criticism for his on-pitch behaviour.

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Carragher suggested that his tendency to berate his teammates indicates he doubts their ability to match his standards, but the rest of the squad would now relish the chance to prove themselves without the Portugal international.

The former Liverpool defender told Sky Sports: "You don't want it to blow up in your face, he is Manchester United's best player, we can't get away from that. PFA Player of the Year last year, but Carrick had to make a stand.

"And you're hoping that this brings us together as a group because there's no doubt about it, even though he's their best player, there will be a lot of people who don't actually like playing with Fernandes.

"He's always throwing his arms up at people, he's basically saying 'you lot aren't good enough to play with me'. We see that a lot from Fernandes.

"So hopefully the players will stick together, they'll need the support as well, because confidence is low.

"They'll need to start well, and actually enjoy playing football together. And if things aren't going well, or someone gives a pass away, you get together, keep encouraging and push each other on."

Just last weekend, Lisandro Martinez, who openly criticised the Old Trafford hierarchy, was still selected to start in the match against Leeds.

However, Fernandes' public attack on his manager has resulted in him being dropped, though Carrick insisted the decision was purely tactical.

United are set to field a forward line comprising Amad, Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo. Among those named as substitutes alongside Fernandes are Matheus Cunha and Joshua Zirkzee.

Speaking before Sunday's fixture, Gary Neville remarked: "The two most prominent players in the team - a World Cup winner and the PFA Player of the Year - coming out and hammering the owners, hammering the sporting director and criticising the manager, all in the space of a week means the players have completely gone."